Upper Middle Petrol Head:

  Nice ol' truck, I hear you say.  But is it?   There's zero doubt that it's nice!  I'd say awesome, actually.   I'm just not so sure that it's old.  Or maybe that all of it's old. Why?  As best as I can tell, this is a J40(ish) - also possibly known as a "40 Series" - 'Cruiser, or at least looks like one.  Our friends at Wikipedia ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Land_Cruiser , accessed 24 JUN 22) tell us that the J40 was built between 1960 and 1984 and - as an amusing side note - that they were called the "Macho" in Venezuela.   As macho as this 40 Series is - and it truly is quite the hairy brute - there was never to my knowledge a coil-sprung version, as this one clearly is, during its near quarter century of production.  It's almost certainly possible to modify the vehicle to take coils all 'round.  However, my best bet is that this one's a J40 cab sitting atop a much, much newer chassis.   Eithe...

Two things made me fall instantly in love with this super-sexy Alfa Spider , recently captured by the Canberra Correspondent in suburban ACT:  its fabulously 1970s' green paint job and those Momo Vega wheels.  I concede that the duco could be contentious, being as it is almost hi-vis, but no one drives a classic Italian sports car to fly under the radar, do they?  And red's probably a bit of a cliche, eh?  I wouldn't hesitate to add it to the UMPH garage!       The Vega was made for cars just like this Spider, as well as really suiting Alfa 105 and 115 Series coupes, and the subsequent Tipo 116 Alfetta GTVs .  They also look outstanding on Fiat X1/9s, quite likely because the eccentric hexagonal "holes," or as my architect mate refers to such voids, "negative spaces," complements the X's side profile angles, especially those of the integral roll-over structure.   The Canberra Correspondent reports that our feature car has has been o...

This HR sedan is just perfect!  Seriously, it is a study in good taste and restraint, having absolutely nailed the balance between originality, sympathetic restoration and era-appropriate modification. The classic 1960s' Holden paint scheme is immaculate, as are the bright work and interior.  The "jelly bean" wheels are bang-on, the wood-rimmed steering wheel couldn't have been better chosen, and the floor-change shifter and front discs (usually Premier-only?) hint at subtle upgrades that speak to the quality and usability of the car's upgrades. Did you know that UMPH also features cars from all around Australia?  Recent examples have included a sinister-looking C2 Corvette Sting Ray ( https://uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com/2022/06/from-seqc-circa-1963-c2-corvette.html ), an EK ute ( https://uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com/2022/05/from-canberra-correspondent-ek-holden.html ) and even an amazing Maserati Sebring ( https://uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com/2...